The Wind Rose
by oddbird
Summary: Sometimes the old legends just might have more truth to them than commonly believed. That was what Naruto realized as he stared at the pitch black side of the ancient ghost ship. SasuNaru AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** Ibilintu/Aryna/DaftDays  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> SasuNaru  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T (for now)  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi, I'm just borrowing and making no profit at all.

**A/N: **This is my Secret Santa y!gallery fic for chynna18rawrr. I was planning a simple oneshot yet it somehow ran on its own and this fic will likely have three or four chapters. I didn't mean to start anything longer when Noon is still in progress but oh well.

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><p>for chynna18rawrr<p>

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><p>They called her simply Black Ship. No-one knew her real name and there was nobody crazy enough to wish to get close enough to read it on the ship's side. She was said to be beautiful, one of the most stunning ships ever built on this side of the world, with old-fashioned mast and carvings on the railings, and a figurehead of a weeping maiden on the prow, guiding the ship through the seas. She was painted all black, even the windows some said, and the lights inside the ship were always the same black light that would blind everyone stupid enough to look into the light. The ship roamed the dark waters, only appearing at night when all the light was gone. She was silent as the night itself and was never seen before it was too late as it approached the other ships sailing the seas. She always came uninvited, and there weren't many who claimed they had actually seen her. Those who did were usually old men, shaken so badly by the experience they were unable to step on a deck anymore and just roamed the ports, telling their story to anyone who was willing to listen.<p>

There was told to never be any crew on the deck, the ship just glided over the water and took along whoever she wanted to, whenever she wanted to, taking whoever was sailing the poor ship as well. Even the old storytellers didn't know why Black Ship was the way she was, what had caused the curse to be laid on her in the first place, yet it was never questioned.

And as they said, the only way to protect your ship was to paint a single black brush stroke on the right side of your ship's bow.

It was a powerful legend, but over time it had started to lose its thrill. More and more stories arose along the years and the younger captains were beginning to ignore the old folks' superstitions. The old ways were forgotten, sometimes purposely and despite the warnings of the seasoned men, and they were getting more and more daring. Every now and then there was a ship that left without the mark on the side from the port and then no living soul heard from it anymore. It wasn't uncommon for a ship to disappear, but for a while it tended to strike the old stories on fire again.

Naruto Uzumaki, however, was not interested in those stories. He had grown up in the port, taken in by a stranger when his parents had abandoned him, and he'd worked his ass off ever since he'd been old enough to walk. Carrying cargo from and to the ships, running errands, anything that would bring money in to his house. He had lived a while with the man he'd called his uncle but by the age of twelve he'd finally gotten himself on a ship, and that had been love on the first sail. After that one trip which he'd spent cleaning the deck and the cabins, helping the cook in the kitchen and sometimes even climbing up to the crow's nest once he'd proved that the was as agile as a little cat, the young boy had refused to set a food on land. Of course he had to do it at times, every time they got to a port, but most of his time he spent on the ship. It was the only love he had ever known and it was impossible to talk him over to even consider living on land for a while. If his previous captain was planning to take a little break, he'd find a new ship to get recruited on, and almost always it paid off. While he wasn't one of those kids that had lived on a ship from day one, he made up to what he lacked in experience with skill and eagerness to learn.

And it wasn't just cleaning tactics that he learned on the sails. By the age of sixteen he knew how to use the sextant and how to read the changes in weather to prepare for them. He knew how to wield a musket and how to aim a deadly blow in hand on hand combat. He was still fairly short and slim, but strong in his own boyish way and far more deadly than anyone could've guessed seeing him the first time. The sun-kissed skin and hair that had been bleached under the scorching sun during his long days on the deck made him a perfectly charming young man, especially when combined with his lively, sky blue eyes and a charming smile that could have won every lady over had he tried to court them. Most of the times he had no desire for such things for they weren't allowed on the ship, but as time passed and the urges of youth grew, Naruto sometimes found himself in the inns and rum houses of the shadier ports, chatting up a pretty lady and slipping her a few coins in return for her favors as he left in the early morning. It left him feeling a bit odd, almost guilty somehow, but it was easy to forget everything once he was in the middle of the open sea again.

Years passed, and Naruto grew not only in knowledge but in looks as well. By the age of 23 he was taller than half of the men on the ship he worked in, his smile still as radiant and eyes as sparkling but now they were backed up by beautifully developed muscles and a body that was one of a strong, hardworking man instead of a teenager now. There were multiple tattoos on his skin, starting from the lines on his face that had been on him as long as he could remember and ending at the rope that tangled around his right ankle. There had also been a compass rose inked on the back of his left hand for a long long time. He had a more designed pattern of a fox on his right shoulder blade and the animal's tails extended down his arm all the way to his wrist in a complicated pattern. It was the weirdest tattoo he had ever seen and he was glad to have it himself. He'd found the idea from a book that had come from China, with stories about mythological creatures over there, and he'd immediately chosen to have it inked on him. There were a few other tattoos as well, all holding a special meaning to him, and despite not being superstitious at all, he also had a few rings on his ears. They hadn't exactly improved his eyesight but it hadn't bothered him that much to try it anyway and he also did think they looked rather cool.

His body now was a result of hard work and long hours on the deck, but Naruto never complained. He loved his work and everything that came to it, without exception. Okay, well, sometimes he wasn't so fond of the occasional sickness waves that went through an entire ship crew at once and wiped them all off their feet so there was no-one really strong enough to run the ship, but other than that he wouldn't have given anything away.

It was one of those early mornings after a very rum-filled night as Naruto slipped out of a building close to the docks, rubbing his biceps and shivering in the chilly morning air. It was a misty morning, the sun had not yet risen, and there were just a few men on the streets, no woman anywhere in sight. They were mostly people drawling back to their homes from bars and brothels after a long night and one gave Naruto an encouraging wink which the blonde answered with a quick wave. It wasn't quite normal to be that friendly with other people, but sometimes these mornings brought a strange sense of companionship to the men that had been lucky the night before.

It was probably because of that that Naruto didn't find it odd at all to see another man standing in a corner of the streets, watching the ground. There were always people out there, minding their own business, and Naruto didn't think much of it as he walked down the road, almost at the docks already. If he was quiet he could now sneak back to the cabin where the crew slept and catch a couple of hours more sleep, which sounded just lovely. While he surely liked these nightly activities, they were also rather tiring, especially if he didn't catch much sleep during the hours spent in the strange bed.

It took him barely a second to realize that as he got closer to the corner the stranger stood at, the man suddenly raised his gaze, staring straight at the blonde walking down the street. His hand automatically withdrew to the gun he carried and he narrowed his eyes a little, not answering the stare as he kept on going, not really intimidated the slightest bit. It was too dark to see the man's features and he was standing in the darkest corner of the street, yet there he was and Naruto could just feel his eyes on him. Instinctively he slowed down his steps a little, not willing to walk past the stranger and turn his back to the man in case this was some kind of a robbery attempt. He could easily take out one man or two, with or without a gun, but he wasn't in the mood for fighting at the moment at all.

He was almost close enough to call out to the stranger and ask what the hell he was staring at him for, but he ended up never getting a chance. The stranger turned away, pulling his hat down to his eyes as he immediately picked up a quick pace, striding away from Naruto to a narrow alley a bit to his right. He didn't give the blonde even one more look as he went, leaving the man rather confused and more than a bit annoyed. What the hell, why would the guy even bother staring at him like that if he wasn't going to do anything? Wondering that exact question the blonde shrugged and, still keeping his hand on his musket, picked up his pace again back to where it had been, keeping a close eye on his surroundings as he headed to the ship, welcoming the familiar surroundings with a smile. He was back home for now.

"Naruto, is everything under control?"

"...huh? Oh, sure, captain." The answer was completed with a boyish grin as Naruto nodded determinedly, returning his eyes to the older man sitting across the table in front of him. There was a map spread on the table with a sextant lying in the middle of it, a small oil lamp giving them some extra light as they went through the area they were at the moment, planning the next move.

The man in front of him frowned, giving him an odd look before shaking his head briefly. He looked down at the map again, pointing his finger at an island they were headed to.

"They say the weather will be unstable for a while. We'll have to be cautious of it, so if there's any changes or clouds start to gather, inform me. There's still a few days until we get to the port."

Naruto nodded again, shifting a little as though he was preparing to leave, but instead he just turned back to his captain and arched a brow.

"Why are you asking?"

The dark-haired captain frowned in return, giving a look to the window on the wall of the cabin. They were still on the open sea and they hadn't passed another ship in a while, that alone being enough to make a captain a bit doubtful. The distance between the two ports they were now passing was not that great, so there should've been at least a few merchant ships or such, but they hadn't seen anything.

"I've just... had this feeling lately. Something is coming. It is probably just the storm, but... I might be young, but I'm not foolish enough to ignore the instincts. Always trust them, if you've been born with them. Listen to the sea and it will talk to you. That's what my father used to say." The captain looked almost embarrassed for a moment before shrugging and grinning back at Naruto.

"But it is true. Now, get out. I'm sure you have some work to do."

Naruto nodded and stood up quickly, playfully saluting his captain before exiting the cabin. There wasn't many years separating him and the captain, they had grown up in the same port but the older boy had left much earlier than Naruto and somehow made it to the point where he actually owned a ship. It hadn't been a hard decision to jump on board when he'd been asked as they once met ashore. He hadn't been on this ship even for a year, but it was more a home to him than any ship before. He knew all the crew and and every plank of the ship. The blonde still didn't have an established role in the crew, but he was mostly regarded as the second mate aboard, even though he never tried to stretch any authority over the other crew members. Naruto didn't really care whether he was being bowed at or not, he just wanted to be on the ship and live his life the way he enjoyed it, which meant exactly this.

As he hopped on the deck, the young man took a deep breath of the fresh, salty sea air, stifling a little laugh of simple happiness. The words the captain had said him still lingered on his mind, clouding some of the joy of just being alive and well and able to live like this, but it was fine. It wasn't the first time their captain had had these strange feelings before a storm, and Naruto was sure they would pass soon. There was nothing wrong. He was still smiling as he caught the ropes that led to the crow's nest and started climbing fast and steady. As he hoisted himself into the nest the blonde's eyes caught something on his right, a shape of something large like maybe a faraway island or a ship. Naruto got himself into a steady position, the wind blowing in his hair and messing it up completely as he turned to look back at the object. However, there was nothing but the blue waters glistening in the sun, not even a shadow of an island anywhere and Naruto frowned, rubbing his eyes a little. Maybe he just hadn't slept enough if he was seeing things. It had probably been just a bug or something that had flown away right after he'd registered it, or a shadow cast by a cloud or something. These things happened.

It was later in the evening that Naruto found himself sitting in the galley of the ship, holding a pint of rum in his hand and watching a couple of older members of the crew rolling the dices in a more complicated dice game. He had dropped out already, having lost clearly after the first three rounds, and he was now just observing the old sharks play, trying to learn something from the way they handled their dices and held themselves as the game proceeded. There was a fair pile of money on the table as well, all going to the winner of the last round, and it was starting to look like the old cooper of the ship was on a prosperous winning streak.

Naruto chuckled, taking a good sip of is rum with a smile on his lips. Half of the crew was in here now, mostly waiting for the food to appear from the pots on the stove. It was rather charming, in a way, the warm atmosphere in the galley as the scents of the food floated in the air, making someone cheer as the cook finally announced it was fine, starting to smash the stew into bowls for the crew. Most of them were immediately up, save for the players and Naruto and one powder monkey who rarely ate much anyway. It was these moments, when everyone else was away doing something else or already sleeping by the night that the old fellas started talking, and that was what Naruto wanted to listen. He knew a lot already, but there was never enough for old stories and myths for him.

And he wasn't disappointed this time either.

"Y'hear there was another ship going to Davy. Heard it sailed under the Jolly Roger." And the dices rolled on the table, bringing a heavy sigh out of both of the men. Despite playing this practically every day, they still took the game seriously, in their own rather laid-back way. Gold was always gold and like hell they were giving it up just for some fun.

And that was where the conversation took up from. Naruto listened with his mouth shut, just downing his rum and making sure not to miss even a single word. It was interesting, actually, how the conversation travelled from the disappeared pirate ship -it had been said to disappear just before it was supposed to arrive in one port, bringing in a load of treasures stolen from a royal ship somewhere along the way, but after the first sightings had been made the ship had simply disappeared form the view, and only a day later a few bodies had drifted ashore. That was more uncommon than not, since usually either the waves took the bodies or the sharks ate them before anything else had the time to happen. No bodies were usually found. There had been no clues of what had happened to the ship though and it hadn't been close enough to the shore that someone could've checked if the ship had sunk. So it was gone now and that was it.

From there the duo moved on to other ships they knew had disappeared and how the older of the men had actually been on a sinking ship. The conversation carried on to old myths at some point, and Naruto, having gone to get some food at some point, took his former place and listened as more of the crew joined in, adding to the stories.

"...and I swear by my dead mother's grave, once I saw a siren sitting on a rock in the middle of an ocean, truth to my tattoos I did. I was up in the crow's nest and saw her as clear as day and she sang to me and told me to come down, but boys, I tied myself to the mast and didn't go, even though my loins were on fire and my heart yearned to run for her aid."

Naruto chuckled, taking part in the slightly disbelieving crowd that started to drown the original speaker's story with even wilder ones. He himself didn't really believe in most of the old stories. Not that they were completely lies, but he had always somehow assumed that they had just started from one strange event and escalated a lot until they had become the legends the sailors now told. And even if some of them had been true, he wouldn't have really minded; he was still young and brave and reckless to the point of wanting to actually see the things the stories spoke about. He would have loved nothing more than to see a siren singing on the cliffs, trying to lure in the reckless sailors or the Kraken to raise from the depths of the Hell itself. The blonde trusted himself probably a bit too much, but he wasn't really afraid. He wanted to go and see things himself, and that was why he had changed ships so often, always seeking for a captain that wouldn't be afraid of taking the more difficult route if it only was the faster one. Challenge was never bad.

There was no storm before they hit the next port. The weather had been just as beautiful as ever, only a few clouds drifting on the clear skies and stars twinkling on the black emptiness of the sky. It had been simply good luck, but Naruto couldn't help the slight strain he kept seeing in their captain when the man thought no-one was looking. It wasn't much but enough to make Naruto wonder if the captain knew something none of the others did. It wouldn't be strange, they were a gray ship doing gray work, playing by the law on the outside and smuggling through stolen goods in the bilge. It paid well and had them doing in good coins, ensuring every member of the crew a fairly steady income, in a way.

After arriving at the port and getting rid of the cargo they had been carrying, the men had been informed that they would be leaving the next morning already, as soon as everyone was on board since they were carrying some pretty urgent things to their next port. There had been some quiet grumbling, but the captain had promised them a lot longer break once they reached the next port. It had quieted down the crew and Naruto had slipped away as soon as possible to spend his free time in the port how he wished.

They had been here a few times before so the man knew where he was going to. There was a pub that served the best whiskey in the whole land that existed, and it had always been his favorite. A lot of people were on the move at that hour, the night hadn't even fallen yet but men were out, trying to chat up the ladies in the corner of the streets in hopes of some free services. Needless to say, they weren't often lucky, and Naruto had to once turn away to keep from snickering as he saw a man getting slapped by a redheaded woman. His eyes stopped for a moment on a man standing by the doors of the bar he was going to, watching the streets. He had dark hair it seemed and surprisingly pale skin but it was all gone too fast as the blonde opened the door and stepped into the building. There were too many strangers for him to care about.

Only later that night it occurred to him that the pale stranger by the door had looked somehow very familiar.

It was that thought that had kept him up and awake most of the night. Naruto hadn't been able to sleep properly simply because it had stayed on his mind, how he was sure he had seen the man before yet he couldn't recall when or where. Things like this could stay on his mind for longest times, bothering him to no end until he finally caught the connection because it always happened, always. He didn't feel like this if there was no reason to had the feelings in the first place.

The morning was almost there, a faint light glowing in the horizon when the blonde finally jumped to sit on his rented bed, staring at the opposite wall with an almost confused look on his face. He could almost swear it was the stranger from the previous port, the one he had seen staring at him in the shadows. He hadn't seen the man's face properly back then, but something in his gut was telling him it had been the one and the same. How he knew it, the blonde wasn't exactly sure, but he just knew it. It was somehow very weird and a little disturbing, but he didn't want to get too much into it. Lots of pope traveled between the same ports and he'd seen the same people earlier too. There had been a case when he'd felt like he'd almost been followed, with a certain gunner appearing every now and then in a same bar he did, but it had been just series of coincidences.

There was mist in the air again, just like that morning some time before, as Naruto headed out and back to the ship. They were set to leave as soon as possible and he sure wasn't going to be the one man weighing it down. He yawned, ruffling his hair with a light salty wind blowing against his face from the sea almost as though welcoming him back to where he belonged. This place was a lot more crowded, people and dogs and rats roaming the streets and again, Naruto realized this was not where he wanted to be. He took a step aside, avoiding bumping into a drunkard and shaking his head as the man's arm brushed his. Crowds always left him feeling a little... iffy, at the best, and the blonde shook his head, hurrying his steps. This much people just had him feeling so insecure at times, with the amount of possible threats and malicious people counting up by every man or woman he passed. He just wasn't used to the crowds now, having spent so many years on the sea with only the crew of the ship as his family and friends and pretty much as the only people on his life.

Clear relief crossed Naruto's face as he finally reached the docks, seeing their ship waiting for him and whoever was still missing. His boots let out soft tapping sound on the wooden dock and the familiar cries of the seagulls and men hollering at each other by the decks of the ships relaxing him again. He rolled his shoulders, ignoring a long look from a woman walking past him -where she was coming from, the blonde had absolutely no idea and he wasn't even going to ask- as he skipped a little, whistling a jolly tune as he went.

It didn't take long to climb up to the deck, and he took a moment to just sit on railing, to watch the town come to life in front of his eyes as the sun peeked from behind the horizon for the first time. Pulling a cracker from his pocket, Naruto started nibbling the edge, his eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned his elbows on his knees and slightly rocked back and forth, wearing only a simple red shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black loose pants with brown boots. He wasn't a man of fancy clothing, had never been, and he usually bothered with a shirt only when going down to a port town.

A couple of more men climbed up to the deck, greeting Naruto with different levels of enthusiasm. He waved back at them, grinning a bit absently before returning his attention to the town. There were more people on the docks, making it harder for him to spot their own crew members before they were really close to the ship. One time there had been a man he'd thought was going to get on, with black pants and a long dark coat from what he could tell from up there, but in the end the man had turned and continued down the dock after giving a quick look at their ship. It seemed he had been just mistaken of the ship, a little detail Naruto passed with a shrug. Their little boat was nothing special-looking really, just another somewhat honorable ship sailing the vast waters.

He had nothing to tell the exact time from, but Naruto estimated it might've been an hour since he had returned that the whole crew was there again and he hopped back to the deck, joining the men with pulling up the anchor and gathering the ropes back in. They would have to take it easy to get past the wave breakers and only then could they open the canvas. As soon as the ship was moving steadily toward the said breakers, Naruto skipped to the end of the ship, saluting his captain briefly as he watched the town and the docks recede from them. The people were getting smaller, but as he squinted, the blonde could've sworn he saw a dark-coated figure standing at the end of the dock they had just left from, watching their ship take off.

Six days later the storm finally came. It was a complete surprise, rising in the middle of a calm, starry night. The coastline was nowhere to be seen when the clouds suddenly came and covered the stars and the moon from the view, bringing a swallowing darkness upon the world for a while. Then the first lighting came down from the skies and suddenly everyone was on the deck.

Rain hammered the ship and the crew running around, trying to keep their balance as the ruthless waves swayed the ship, making it hard to keep the course. They were trying to fix the canvas, checking the cannons below the deck and securing every other larger items that might get to move around the ship and swaying the balance the ship had. It was still almost pitch black save for the occasional lightning flashes that illuminated the whole world for a second, blinding everyone afterward. They had a couple of lanterns on the deck but that didn't bring them much light.

Naruto had a bunch of ropes in his hands as he dashed across the deck to the mast to secure the ropes the crew members had tied to their waists. He had an almost maniac smile on his face as he knelt before the mast and started checking the knots, going through each and every one of them as the wind blew more water against his faces, making him practically blind as well. He wore no shirt, water running down his back and arm as he crouched down, his hair plastered to his face and neck. The strong muscles were contracting with his every move, fighting to keep him in balance as he just laughed into the howling wind, enjoying every second of it.

As he got all the ropes checked, the blonde stood up again, spreading his arms for a moment and letting the rain hammer him until he was out of breath as though he'd just ran miles and miles again. A lightning cracked in the distance, creating a beautiful zigzag pattern on the sky and Naruto blinked, his mouth open in a happy laugh as he felt adrenaline rushing through his veins. As the storm raved above them, it was the time when he mostly felt alive, knowing how little and worthless he was in the end. His pants were like glued to his skin and his bare feet were getting slippery on the wet deck but he didn't care, just opened his mouth and tilted his head backwards to let some of the angry droplets of water fall onto his tongue.

"Naruto!"

The yell snapped the blonde out of his thoughts and he turned to look at the captain who was now waving at him from the wheel that he was holding still. It wasn't hard to tell even from the distance that his arms were tense and almost shaking from the strain.

"Stop dr-"

"A man overboard!" Another call came through the painfully whipping winds, catching the attention of Naruto and a few others.

Without a second wasted the blonde dashed across the deck, his hands already on the rope that had suddenly gone tense and rigid as the man it was tied to had been thrown over the edge as the ship had rocked due to a strong wave hitting them. He reached the railing in only a few seconds, and started to pull on the rope, leaning back as he wrapped his fingers as tight as he could around the lifeline of his fellow sailor, and after a couple of other men had joined him they started to slowly move backwards. Naruto cursed as the rope slipped, cutting into his palms as he tried to hold on, but there was no way he was letting go. He couldn't feel blood but it could've just as well been due to the rain and adrenaline, and he let out another loud chuckle as he pulled again, finally starting to make real progress.

The rain was showing no signs of fading, and another lightning crackled through the darkness as the limp man was finally pulled back to the deck. He coughed and rolled over to his side, throwing up the contents of his stomach before grabbing the railing and starting to pull himself up with a determined look on his face.

Something flew through the air, having been escaped their binds somewhere and Naruto ducked, wiping water from his eyes. The object, it had probably been a lantern that had been put out somewhere along it's little flight, and it flew over the railing, landing somewhere in the white-crowned waves. Naruto was still laughing as he once more checked his rope and then rushed to the captain, to hear what he had to say.

The storm raged on for what felt like a small eternity to most of them. Even Naruto was feeling a bit tired as the storm finally started dying down, the howling winds tamed and eventually reducing into just quiet, whining gusts that barely caught the canvas. It was dark again, but the clouds were slowly starting to dissolve, giving way to the stars that twinkled somewhere high on the sky. It was only one or two of them though, the clouds were still too thick for them to show properly and the moon was nowhere to be seen.

Naruto sat on the wet deck, leaning his back against the mast, throwing a small knife to the air over and over again. They had checked the damage already, thankfully nothing unrepairable had happened and the cargo was fine as well so they didn't have to sweat it. Everything was going fine now, the sea was calm after the storm, only the sloshing of the waves was still loud and clear in his eyes as he watched the dark sky in the faint light given by the lanterns on the deck. The atmosphere on the deck was calm and relaxed, the storm had gone and they were all safe. The ropes had held them all in safety, and now they just had to make it through the night so they could do a final damage check. There were things even the most experienced sailor could overlook in the darkness. So far, though, everything really seemed to be fine.

Another gust of wind blew over the waters, this time a bit stronger, and Naruto shuddered slightly as it licked his bare skin, ruffling the hair that was still a bit damp from the beating they all had taken earlier. It had been one of the best storms in the blonde's opinion, something he wouldn't quite easily forget, and there was still a smile on his lips as he leaned his head back against the mast, pulling his knees closer to his chest. There was no-one else on the deck except for the captain, him and another powder monkey and the silence was so heavy it was almost touchable. These moments after the storm, when the air smelled fresh and pure and the world rested to repair the damage done by the raging storm was as dear to Naruto as the storms themselves.

The corner of his eye twitched and the young man scratched it absently, yawning a little as he focused on just listening to the quiet sea. It was simply beautiful, how easy it was to fall into the belief that there was nothing but their ship on this entire sea, in the middle of the dark waters. It would soon get light again, the sun would rise and paint the world in golds and reds and pull them back to reality. But for now the world was still theirs, for a little moment.

The twitching occurred again and this time Naruto opened his eyes, frowning at his toes as he tried to rub his face, to get rid of the annoying feeling. It didn't seem to be helping, and with an irritable puff he pushed himself up, stretching his arms above his head with a pleased groan as his joints popped. He was already thinking of slipping into the cabin and taking a little nap before he'd have to get up again to help the cook, but what stopped him was a very light thudding sound that briefly shook their entire ship, making it clearly slow down. The sudden movement had Naruto flailing rather ungraciously and he grabbed a hold of the mast, looking around in the darkness. They couldn't have crashed into reef, right? They were still moving so they weren't stuck, but what the hell then...

He didn't have to think for a long time. As soon as the blonde laid his eyes on the right side of the ship, it all came clear.

"Bleeding mother of the seas..." was all he could say, the words coming out as a breathless groan almost as he stared at the ship right next to their own.

It was pitch black. Naruto could see no light coming from anywhere, it was as dark as the night itself. No, even darker than that since he could see the black outlines drawing against the dark night sky, the massive shape enough to have him gaping like a child at it. He knew the captain had noticed it as well as he'd heard a muffled shout from where the man stood, but he couldn't turn to look as a sound of running footsteps started echoing inside the ship. He heard someone yelling something about the cannons and getting ready to fight, but all he could do was to hold onto his tiny knife and stare at the ship as it soundlessly floated next to theirs, moving in the same pace like a huge, deranged shadow of their own Maiden. It had come silently, just like they said in the old stories, and something clenched in Naruto's stomach as he realized he was staring straight at the notorious Black Ship. It had come for them, come just like that in the middle of the night, and as he heard the fearful voices talking around him he realized something.

Their ship didn't have the mark of protection.

It had never bothered Naruto before. He had noticed it as soon as he had seen the ship the first time, that the brown sides were unmarred, no sign of the black paint anywhere. At the time it had nothing but excited him; he was going to get to sail without the protection which meant he might get the chance to see Black Ship himself. It had sounded wonderful, just like any other fantasy of a reckless young man, and even now the blonde didn't exactly regret his decision. His year on this ship had been absolutely wonderful and he wouldn't have traded it for any sense of safety, even though the sudden fear was trying to get to him. If anything, it just made him wish he hadn't left his gun lying somewhere.

They didn't have the time to get to the cannons. Within just very long seconds from the alert, there was a very muffled sound from the black ship and Naruto narrowed his eyes, crouching down a little. Let the crazy ghosts come, he wasn't going to let them get him.

"Evening, gentlemen." The voice echoed on the deck, empty and hollow sound that sent chills down Naruto's back. The words sounded somehow like they were still lingering in the air, getting caught on the listeners' skin and sending someone down to their knees down to the deck. None of the crew was an inexperienced fighter or afraid of a combat, but when facing something that was supposed to be dead or just a legend, an old story that had been passed down the generations for centuries already, it was no wonder they were a little shaken.

"You are the lucky ones", the ominous voice continued, now even softer and somehow more threatening than before.

"Now be smart as well and let go of your weapons."

A grumble went through the ship and Naruto glanced to his both sides, just to see his comrades holding onto their weapons even tighter. No sailor was dumb enough to let go of their defense just like that.

"I have no desire to take your lives. I only want one thing and then we'll go."

Another almost surprised murmur passed by and Naruto took a step closer to the old gunner.

"Don't ye trust them, sonny... Bastard's playing tricks on us with his fine words", the old man grumbled and Naruto nodded slowly, still trying to find the source of the voice.

A loud gasp somewhere on his right had the blonde spinning around to be ready to face a possible threat and he raised his knife a little, his eyes wide as he finally saw it.

There, behind their captain, on the railing of the ship sat a figure of a person. It was too dark to make out any details, but he wore no hat and a large coat it seemed, a coat that swayed softly in the air as the man stood up, playing with a pistol in his hand. He looked totally relaxed as he raised his free hand in the air to halt the grumbled conversation that had been going on and then turned to address the captain.

It was impossible to hear what they were saying. The first and only words that echoed over the whole ship were of warning of not to try anything stupid; the men on Black Ship would shoot at the smallest sign of rebellion, and should their spokesman be injured on the merchant ship they would all be meeting a slow death in the hands of the icy ocean.

Naruto ground his teeth, inching back to the mast. He wanted to hear what the two were talking about, his heart was racing and despite the fear that was making it hard to breathe he was also curious. He was actually watching a ghost ship and one of the crew from over there and his heart kept hammering in his chest as he swallowed thickly, squeezing the handle of the blade in his hand. There was no wind now, nothing but the gentle sound of the waves hitting the ship and the lowered voices of his captain and Black Ship's spokesman as the crew waited anxiously, looking more or less nervous.

It took a while until the captain finally stepped back, giving a nod before giving a brief glance at the direction Naruto stood in. The blonde frowned, unable to comprehend what was going on, and as he saw the coat man stepping back as well and starting to ascend the stairs to the deck he instinctively took a step back and frowned, something very unpleasant tingling in the back of his neck. This was... This wasn't good. Something in his gut just told him that whatever was happening now was bad and that he should run, but there was no place he could go to. The ghost man had now reached the end of the stairs and was walking slowly towards him, his eyes on the blonde alone.

Naruto shuddered, taking another step back until he suddenly bumped into something warm and solid. Turning around, he fond himself facing a stranger, a man with a row of sharp teeth and an almost a grin on his face as he raised his head.

"What-" He wasn't allowed to say more before all the lights suddenly went out and his body hit the deck with a muffled thud.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is old. As in, I've posted this on y! over a year ago. I figured I'd post this here just because I happened to come by to update my profile. Further chapters may or may not be coming, but not anytime soon at least.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 2<span>**

When Naruto finally came back to his senses, the first thing he thought was that he had dreamed the whole encounter. He was inside a cabin on a ship, sleeping on something not necessarily soft but not really hard like the floor either, and while the room was very dark there was a small amount of light streaming in from the small windows on the wall. The cabin didn't look really familiar to him but being as groggy and confused as he was, Naruto just figured he probably couldn't see very well due to the darkness. It was night time after all, had been earlier at least, and very dark even after the storm had passed. He had probably just gone to sleep after the storm and now he was waking up...

The problem with that theory was that he wasn't rocking. He wasn't sleeping in a hammock like he usually did on the ship, no, it was a solid bed, the like that they only had in their captain's cabin, and this room definitely wasn't that. As he blinked, trying to shake the sleep off him, the blonde was slowly starting to come aware of the aching in his muscles. It was all thanks to the storm and he knew it, but he couldn't really explain the dull ache on the back of his head the same way. He hadn't hit his head on anything, he really hadn't, which meant... Well, it could mean many things, and as Naruto tried to slowly roll over to his side he realized that the one thing he really didn't want to believe it meant was probably very much true.

The blonde frowned, closing his eyes again. The reality was very slowly starting to set in, and along the aches and shakes that came with it were the feelings of the current. He knew he was on a ship since it was swaying very gently from side to side but it almost felt like the ship was anchored somewhere since he couldn't feel any other movement. When he'd opened his eyes he had seen nothing but black and even more black, and so he supposed he was on Black Ship. Something cold settled into his stomach as he thought of that but he tried not to think too much. The whole thing was just so entirely crazy it didn't feel real and the blonde was sure he was still asleep somehow.

The scariest thing, though, was that he really couldn't move. It wasn't just that he was sore or numb or his limbs were asleep, no. As he tried to move he could feel ties around his knees and his wrists, and he wasn't even sitting in a chair or something. He was lying on his back with his arms spread to his sides and his feet tied together straight down and as he thought about it, he felt like a fish seared ant put up on the table. He still couldn't see anything but the black ceiling and the walls and the closed space was making him a little claustrophobic. He was not used to being tied down or closed into a room when he didn't want to be there and now he was starting to panic even though he had chosen not to do so.

"Hey!" he called out as loud as he could, trusting that someone was going to hear him. He didn't know if it was a good thing that they knew he was awake, hell, he didn't even know who 'they' were, but since it seemed nothing was going to happen if he didn't do something...

"So... You're awake."

It was the same voice he'd heard on the ship. It still had the same hollow quality to it, almost like a distant echo, and Naruto shuddered involuntarily as a cold breeze brushed over his bare skin. It was suddenly very cold in the room but he couldn't tell if it was because of the ghost man there or because someone had opened a door or a window somewhere. He still wasn't seeing any light anywhere so he was not putting much hope on the door theory, and despite turning his head to each side and taking a look he couldn't see the talker either.

"I hope you are not too uncomfortable. Once we've found what we need, you will be released."

The voice was closer now, coming directly above him as though the speaker was standing just behind the bed or desk or whatever Naruto was tied onto. The fact that the man was staying just out of his reach was making the blonde really nervous, although it did prove one thing. If the speaker had to stay away from his field of vision to stay unseen, that meant he couldn't be invisible, which meant no ghost. Or at least, no invisible ghost which made it all the easier to bear. Any little relief was welcome when his situation was as desperate as it was.

"Who are you?" the blonde tried, his voice hoarse and dry like his lips. He had apparently been there longer than he had thought as his voice sounded so bad. He wasn't sure if the words were even comprehensible to his abductor but he was sure they could grasp the meaning without any trouble. What else would he be asking? At least they should be smart enough to know that. Now he felt just naked and vulnerable.

"All your questions will be answered when the time comes", the hollow voice replied, followed by a sound of something swishing near his head.

And in a blink of an eye, everything went dark.

"H-hey! What did you do?!"

But it was like the speaker hadn't even heard him. A soft sound of almost inaudible footsteps circled the table and Naruto pulled at his restraints, his arms shaking as he tried to trash away from the table with very little success. It only made his head hurt and as he stopped for a moment, his realized his arms felt somehow very heavy and relaxed, more so than he would've wanted to.

"What the..." It was all he could say until his mouth went relaxed as well, pushing his words out as non-understandable gibberish. He could swear he heard someone mumble or snicker but then it went rather quiet again. For a little moment, at least, and the blonde found himself almost smiling as he relaxed against the bed-table-something, feeling like he should probably do something about the funny feeling but having absolutely no way or the mindset to actually starting something.

It was still quiet for a while and then something compositely else happened. Soft warmth was emitting from his right side and then something light and rather lukewarm pressed against his stomach. A low gurgle escaped Naruto's lips as his skin went to goosebumps but he couldn't find it in himself to move or try and push them away. The light object multiplied and started sliding across his stomach, following some weird patterns. It took Naruto a while to realize that the objects on his skin were in fact fingers and that they were moving across his skin in very random manner. They slid over his navel, caressing his skin and sending funny shivers up and down his spine. The fingers moved on after a while, sliding down his legs and brushing very close to his more private parts that, as he now knew, were covered by nothing but a simple loin cloth that he had never owned in his life. The fingers stayed a lot longer on his calves and ankles and feet than they had on his thighs, a fact that made Naruto slightly sad but not enough to have him complaining.

At the moment, he was actually feeling pretty good and he was starting to almost feel silly for fretting so much over the situation. Whoever it was touching him now was making pretty good job of it and he didn't even feel too embarrassed to let out a content sigh as the unknown person kept massaging him with his fingertips, still drawing those weird patterns on him. The only time the blonde even thought of protesting was when the fingers went to his toes, tickling him to the point of making him trash lazily in his place. He was almost giggling by the time the fingers pulled back and returned to his stomach, but letting out such a noise would've taken way too much effort and he wasn't willing to so more than just lay still now. The fingers were still occasionally brushing against the coarse blonde curls on his lower stomach, a trail that led to his groin and the thought made his senses tingle rather pleasantly.

He tried to say something but his words still came out as a jumbled mess, sounding again more like a groan than actual sentence. His ears were buzzing nicely as he arched his back a little, showing his appreciation to the toucher. He didn't hear anything in response, but he could've sworn the fingers rubbed on his nipples a little as they moved upward.

Only when the fingers started to travel down his tanned arm Naruto finally realized, through the funny haze still clouding his mind, that the stranger was in fact getting familiar with his tattoos. The idea made him oddly upset, about the fact that the secret person wasn't touching him just because he found him hot, but he supposed he should let that pass. He was a prisoner, after all, though if all his time there was going to be like this... he wouldn't complain. In any other situation he would've found his own reasoning very weird, but right now he just felt really nice and comfortable and he wished the strange lady would touch him a bit lower. Or at least he supposed it was a woman, the fingers felt very delicate and soft, not like a working man's that was for sure. At the moment he didn't really give a damn because oh god it felt nice.

It felt like the touching went on for hours and hours and then Naruto finally let his eyes fall shut as sleep took him over, the arousal still curling in the pit of his stomach as everything went even more black. Or so it felt at least, he couldn't really tell. The hard whatever he was sleeping on still felt rather nice and almost soft now, but it was a lonely feeling when he heard a door falling shut somewhere close to him. It was followed by surprisingly heavy footsteps, or at least they almost echoed in his ears as he tried to listen as closely as he could, not really caring about how it sounded except that it was louder, even through the door that he supposed was now shut. The air in the room felt cold and he shivered, twisting his hips in hopes of managing to rub his crotch against something but there was nothing but the air and he frowned, wondering what exactly was going to happen now that he had been left alone again.

The next time he opened his eyes it was lighter in the room. Not like outdoors light, no, but someone had brought in a lantern or something because weird shadows were flickering on the wall on his left. Not that he still could turn his head properly, but at least he could see something, and that was definitely a positive. What subdued his joy a little was that his head was aching and his muscles felt sore, as though he had been fighting or running for a long time. The ache was weird, not really throbbing but a constant heavy stinging in the back of his skull, making him cringe as something clonked on his side. It didn't touch him, but the sound was enough to make him want to lash out to someone and tell them to keep it quiet. He was also having hard time remembering what had happened during the last few hours, or ever since his abduction actually, but he had the feeling he probably didn't want to know either. He wasn't really hurting, he wasn't feeling bad in any way except for the headache and the weird feeling in his muscles and he didn't even feel very nervous, although he knew he should have.

Then the sound repeated and Naruto realized he wasn't alone.

"Good to see you're up."

Naruto frowned, immediately recognizing it as a strange voice. He didn't know who the speaker was, and even though he hadn't liked the weird hollow voice from before, it had been a familiar one by now and he had had a person to connect it to. He'd seen the man on the ship and he knew the voice belonged to him, but this new voice was he had no body for. It could as well have belonged to a ghost. Which, in fact, it probably did. That thought wasn't exactly comforting.

"Who are you?" That was, at least, what he had wanted to say. What did come out was simply nothing. His lips were so dry and his tongue so oddly swollen that he couldn't get out anything but pitiful piffing sound, his cheeks momentarily growing red at the weird, embarrassing sound.

In just a second or so something cold and solid pressed against his lips and without hesitation Naruto parted them, allowing the cool liquid to flow in and moist his dried mouth. Never had simple water tasted as good to him as it did at that moment and when the cup finally went empty, he licked his lips and sighed contently, waiting for the person in the room to speak. He was feeling much better now that he could again move his lips without having to fear he'd crack them. He closed his eyes for a while, trying to get over the stupid headache but not really succeeding at all. Despite that he supposed he could try and get some information out of this man now that it was a new person in the room with him.

"Where am I?" he asked simply, feeling just a little weird when he still couldn't see whoever he was talking to. The light made it much more bearable though.  
>"On Black Ship, right?"<p>

A low humming sound came from somewhere on his right.  
>"Yes, that would be correct", the voice admitted, followed by a sound of scuffling.<p>

Naruto shuddered involuntarily but immediately suppressed his initial reaction. This was alright, he had known that before, now his suspicions had just been confirmed but it really didn't change the situation. He did need a few calming breaths though and he took his time, sensing that the man he'd been talking to was in no rush to go anywhere. It was a comforting feeling, somehow.  
>"And why am I here?"<p>

"Because we brought you here."

"Yeah? And why did you do that?"

The voice went quiet for a little while, and when it spoke again, it sounded almost a little bit hesitant at first.  
>"It's not my place to speak about it." And it fell silent again, a tone of finality in it. It seemed clear that he would not speak of that subject, no matter how hard Naruto pressed.<p>

The blonde didn't really feel like pressing the subject that much anyway, but he was curious, and the curiosity was slowly starting to gain footing over the fear and anxiety that had first ruled him when he had woken up.  
>"Fine. Then, who's is it?"<p>

"The captain's."

"Right. Who are you then?"

"My name is not of importance to you."

Naruto gritted his teeth. He had almost started to like the speaker, sort of, but now he was just getting a little frustrated. Whoever the man was he was clearly avoiding all the questions that would've given Naruto any real information about himself or the place he was in, but he was still glad to actually get to talk to someone, even if it was utter nonsense that gave him nothing. It certainly made him feel less lonely and less like a prisoner.

"Fine. What about the weather? Is it pleasant? Not very stormy I suppose, the ship isn't rocking much."

"No, not stormy. It's very... dull, really."

And so they went on for some time until the voice announced he would have to leave and that the captain would probably come to speak to him soon. He didn't, but eventually someone came to feed Naruto, with a bowl of dull, greasy stew that still tasted rather wonderful after his time of no food at all. It took the time of one day, he estimated roughly based on his poor sleeping patterns, that the captain finally arrived.

He came with silent steps, closing the door after himself so quietly that Naruto wouldn't have noticed it at all had it not been for the cold sweep of air brushing against his bare body as the door opened. He tried to turn his head to look at the person once again, but he failed as he had all times before. They still kept his head tied to the bench even though he was certain that was not necessary. He couldn't run away with just his neck muscles, that was for sure.

He didn't greet the person, as it had become a habit of his to speak only after the whoever came to see him. It had been just the same man from before, the one who had given him water and fed him, to let him relieve himself twice, which had been very embarrassing and involved a bucket, and give him some more water. They hadn't spoken much, but he sort of liked the guy, whoever he was.

Now, though, Naruto was sure it was not the man. He was not silent like this and the air in the room felt suddenly a little colder, like something from another void had entered to the room. Against his will the young man tensed and his skin prickled as the other entity drew closer with its silent steps. The fire was still burning in the lantern so it wasn't dark, but somehow it was very hard for him to look at the being as it stood by his resting place, a pale hand appearing seemingly out of nowhere to his field of vision. It drew closer to his stomach and the blonde felt a sudden urge to pull back, away from looming touch, but he couldn't move thanks to the troublesome restrains. He hadn't been allowed to get up even once and he was feeling seriously sore already.

The hand landed on his bare stomach, the long fingers barely touching his skin, and suddenly the blonde realized he had been speaking to this person before. Or not so much spoken, but it had been the exactly same touch as before, and then the very hazy memories flooded back to his mind. They were really clouded, as though he had been very drunk or drugged somehow, and for a moment he believed he really had been. He remembered something else too, the lazy arousal that definitely hadn't gone unnoticed by the man now touching him, because a man it was for sure and not a ghost, and a tint of red colored his cheeks again as he thought about it. The thought of being drugged though was making his blood boil but he had a strong feeling that the time wasn't right to confront the man about it.

The fingers didn't move this time, just rested on his stomach, spread wide all across his skin and making him shudder again. He didn't dare to move, not with the ghostly touch lingering on him, but that didn't mean he couldn't talk. The blonde wetted his lips with his tongue, hoping that he could form proper words this time but not sure id he could actually hope for it. Before he could say a word the cold-fingered man spoke, his voice low and still somehow a little hollow.

"Things have not gone as easily as I hoped they would", he said, his fingers pressing just a little tighter against the tanned skin.

Naruto blinked, confused, and once again hoped he had any idea of what was going on.  
>"What?" he asked, his voice again gone rather hoarse as he tried to turn his head or stretch his eyes or anything to get a proper look at the man speaking.<p>

He wasn't sure if the man had heard him or if he had just been about to explain anyway, but either way he was rather glad for it.

"I hoped you would be carrying it with you, or at least had it clearly written on you. But you weren't carrying nothing and your captain told us you had no personal belongings of any kind. Your body doesn't have it, and I can't think of anything but extracting it from your mind." The voice diminished, ending with a near whisper as the hand moved up to Naruto's chest.

The young man shuddered again, goosebumps raising on his skin as he tried to make some sense out of the words that had just been uttered out. He couldn't even begin to guess what the man was talking about and he wasn't very fond of the fingers on him anymore, they made him feel very vulnerable as though they could just snap his neck at any moment. The voice hadn't sounded pleased at all but he hoped it was nothing too serious.  
>"What?" he repeated, his voice coming out a little high-pitched even to his own ears.<p>

The speaker either didn't hear him or simply ignored him, again.

"That means, it might help if we didn't keep you like this... I had hoped we wouldn't have to go this far, as I know you probably are unaware of your own fate, but you are giving me no choice." The voice had gone cold again, calculating, as though the owner was planning what to do next.

Naruto blinked as he saw a knife flashing in his line of vision, his body going cold for a few seconds until he started trashing, trying to pull free from the restraints before that psycho could cut him apart.  
>"I have no idea what you're talking about, I swear! Just let me go! Let me go, dammit!"<p>

Whether it helped or not, he wouldn't know, but a moment later he was sitting up with only his feet tied down anymore. The blonde blinked again, immediately lifting his hands to rub his face until his attention snapped back to the knife he had seen before. It was now laying by his feet on the table-like thing he was on, too far for him to reach which probably was the plan, and as he tried to catch it anyway his sore muscles protested, making him cringe. Then, with numbing coldness he realized that he had, again, forgotten the most important thing; his abductor.

His head whipped around as he stared at the chair by the table. It was empty, with no-one in sight, yet the blonde was sure no-one had left the room after the appearance of the knife. The door hadn't been opened, he would've noticed. The thought made him shudder as the presence of ghosts again had him wondering if he was ever going to make it out alive, and then it occurred to him that he might just as well be dead already. What would stop a ship full of spirits from making him into one of them? He still couldn't for the life of him figure out why though, but he chose to ignore it for a while as he rubbed his arms and torso, almost groaning at the nice feeling of finally being able to move again. His blood was starting to flow properly, making him tingle and squirm.

Now that he was finally somewhat free, Naruto took a moment to inspect the room he was in. It was smaller than he had thought, maybe half of the size of his captain's cabin back to his ship, and there was very little furniture in. His table thing was in the middle of the room, taking up a chunk of space, with a couple of chairs by it that didn't look very used at all. A few lanterns were hanging on the walls and a window far his left provided the room with very little light. It was probably rainy outside as the light seemed rather dull and gray-ish, not the warm sunshine he was used to at all. Other than that, the room was empty and so Naruto took a moment to inspect the chairs a little closer to find at least something useful. The chairs itself looked somehow very weird, too decorated and just oddly shaped for a ship of any kind, but after a while it finally occurred to Naruto that they were probably very old. They said the ship had been rowing these waters for centuries after all.

He didn't get much farther than that as heavy footsteps descended the apparent stairs behind the only door leading to his room and Naruto tensed, for a moment torn between laying down again and pretending that he was tied up still and sitting up and facing the stranger. He ended up doing something between them, not really lying down but not sitting either, and he mentally prepared himself for seeing something terrible, like a ghost man with his stomach torn open and his guts eternally spilling out. Or maybe a decapitated man that carried its head along in a see-through sack.

What came out of the door, however, was nothing like that. The man was large, very large indeed, and so tall Naruto was sure he had never seen anyone that huge before. He also looked like he could probably lift both Naruto and his table to the air without much effort despite not being overly muscular. He was wearing a simple black vest and black pants with a dark purple belt and his hair was short cropped, dull shade of orange. Naruto couldn't remember ever seeing hair like that before and he shivered involuntarily. This man didn't really look that frightening, he wasn't glowing or see-through and he was actually giving Naruto a small smile as he got closer, holding a bowl of something that steamed just like warm soup could.

"Hello again", the man said, sitting down by the table and still being high enough that he could've easily fed Naruto.

The voice clicked immediately in the blonde's head and his expression brightened a little.  
>"Hey, it's you!"<p>

The man nodded and he offered the bowl of stew to the blonde, still smiling almost a little awkwardly.  
>"Yes, it's me. Nice to see you up. Here, have some food, and afterwards we'll be going for a little walk."<p>

The wording probably should've sent warning bells off in Naruto's head but instead of doing that he just heard the word walk and his toes curled in anticipation. He had no idea how long he had been tied down but it was seriously making him achy -and cranky- and he would've given his left hand earlier for a little walk, even just around the room. The thought of actually going somewhere else thrilled him, and he was still chatting with the orange-haired man as he ate, falling to the easy and comfortable pattern straight away.

When he had finished, the man took the bowl and put it away under the table, taking the knife from the table and sliding it into his belt, ignoring the way Naruto momentarily tensed. He made the blonde promise he wouldn't run away and then undid Naruto's feet restraints, stepping back as the blonde climbed off the table.

His legs felt weak and wobbly and the moment he set his foot on the floor and his weight on them Naruto just knew he wasn't going to make it far without falling. He was been still for way too long and now he felt like he was made of pudding, his hands clutching the edge of the table as he slowly stood up, breathing in deep as his legs started to tingle unpleasantly. The ghost man was watching him patiently, but after a moment he stepped closer and took Naruto by the arm, starting to lead him to the door. His grip was firm but not painful, just enough to keep Naruto on his feet and make sure he wouldn't run away, and for a moment Naruto welcomed the help. This man had been feeding him and helping him take a leek too (by the most condescending way that included a cup or a bottle or something and still being tied to the table), and while it was damn embarrassing it couldn't be helped anymore. By the time they reached the door, though, he was sure that he could as well walk alone and the man let go, following Naruto to the stairs.

The door to his room hadn't been locked, a detail that the blonde immediately noticed and made sure to remember. It was either because this ghost crew was sure he couldn't' get out of his restraints or simply because they knew that Naruto would have nowhere to run even if he tried to.

Everything around him was black. The walls, the floors, the ceiling; everything. Even the lanterns that were unlighted now were made of something very dark and quite not shiny. It was weird, but Naruto didn't really have the time to think about it. The stairs weren't long, and even though he wasn't very fast at climbing them, they ended soon. He was told to open the door, and, while almost expecting someone to shoot him the moment he did, the blonde pushed the heavy door open, stepping out to the deck.

It was exactly as in the old tales. The ship truly was black entirely, even out here, and there was no sign of wear anywhere. The ship could just as well have come out of painting only minutes ago, so polished it looked. It was a weird color of black though, somehow dulled while being the deepest shade of any color Naruto had ever seen. It almost looked like the ship itself was just a large black hole in the air, not a real thing, and as he looked down at his feet he had a momentary feeling of walking on air above a huge tear in the world. He gasped and stopped, trying to look away from the utter blackness that was just the deck beneath his feet. Then the man behind him shook him out of his thoughts and he raised his head, only to find himself staring at a few men who had stopped working and come to stare at him instead.

It definitely felt little weird and Naruto wasn't exactly sure what to do. He was hearing voices, low whispers that seemed to originate either nowhere or everywhere around him, and even though he had already established the fact that he wasn't afraid of the ship or the crew, he couldn't help the chill that ran down his spine. Down in the cabin he had been held it'd been just... well, dark but otherwise very normal, but this was weird. He couldn't even see anything but mist around the ship and the sounds of the waves was very quiet, eerie, coming from somewhere far away. None of the men was saying anything, they just stared at him with somehow very dull eyes, yet the whispering was still there. He was seeing no-one familiar but that wasn't a surprise, he hadn't met any ghosts recently or ever really, though he had assumed the man from the ports had probably been from this ship. He wasn't hearing the voice from before either, the one that had to belong to the said follower, but he supposed he'd see him in time, After all, he'd been told he was being taken to the captain.

He stood there for what felt like minutes thanks to all the probably curious eyes, but finally the large man escorted him away. Naruto could still feel the eyes on him and he had to resist the urge to turn around and tell them to stop staring at him, but he didn't think it would do any good. He didn't know how long it had been since these men had had a living man on their ship so he sort of understood where that staring was coming from, but that didn't make it any better. It was unnerving and he didn't know what was going on here or why he had been brought in, other than the fact that they needed something from him. What, he had no idea, but he hoped it was going to be explained soon. And that they wouldn't decide to dispose him once they had found out what they wanted. Or when they didn't.

Another small staircase led down to a cabin right below the wheel deck, and after a very respectful knock Juugo stepped back, allowing Naruto to go in first. To the blonde's surprise the large man didn't follow him as he stepped inside but just closed the door after him, leaving him alone in the cabin.

Or, well, alone with the captain he soon found out. Naruto didn't have the time to check the room, his eyes went straight to the figure standing by a window. Surprisingly the window itself wasn't black at all, more like a dulled version of every window he had seen in his life, but it wasn't letting in all that much light. It was like the same dull color of the air outside was slowly bleeding into the room but something in the room was stopping it from spreading around and trapping it to a small circle right by the window. A dark figure was standing right outside that circle, just hints of the light touching his chest and the hem of his coat. He was very still, practically unmoving like a statue as he stood there, staring at the window as though Naruto had never stepped into the room. He had a very commanding presence, even while standing it felt like he was demanding Naruto's attention and the blonde couldn't help giving it to him. He felt stupid just standing there. As long as he didn't know what exactly his situation was he wasn't going to start testing the limits.

"So, here you are." Despite the almost hard presence he had, the man had a very soft voice, soft yet somehow dangerous. And it was, not too surprisingly, the same voice Naruto had been hearing before so many times.

He nodded, not wanting to speak. The air in the room was very eerie, definitely the most ghostly place of them all so far, and somehow he knew his voice wouldn't fit. It would stand out just like his coloring did, he could almost see his hair radiating oddly in the darkness. Although it wasn't exactly dark there, there just wasn't any bright light. If there ever was such a thing as dark light existing.

"Please, have a seat. This will take a while."

And so Naruto did. Not right away though, since he took a while to actually locate the chair. The cabin was actually really large, much larger than it looked from the outside, and very tastefully furnished, in the same kind of old style that he was seeing everywhere. There was a dresser and a mirror, a bed on one side (and quite a large bed at that, fit for two people at least), a working desk with papers and what looked like maps spread over it, a couple of very simple wooden chairs in front of it and another set of more cushioned seats closer to the window. It would have been really pretty if it hadn't been all black around him. As a difference to the rest of the ship this room actually had some color, there were splashes of dark red and blue in the cushions of the chairs and the covers on the bed, and even such little color was a welcome change to Naruto. He was very fast starting to like this room, and eh would've liked it even more if the man in front of him, the captain it occurred to him, hadn't been so still and not even looking at him. In fact, it would've been the best option to be here alone so he could go and check if that bed felt as nice as it looked. Although anything probably felt nice compared to the desk he'd been strapped onto before.

That thought made the blonde cringe and he slowly walked over to the chairs in front of the table, coming to the conclusion that he wasn't supposed to be getting too comfortable here.

His decision finally sparked a reaction out of the other man. As soon as Naruto was seated, feeling rather stupid just sitting there in his rather non elegant clothing with his hair messy and face probably very puffy from just lying down so long, the captain turned away from the window, only his hair moving around his face as little as the strode over to the table. His coat fluttered a little behind him but other than that he still had a rather statuesque air around him as he sat down behind the desk, running his shockingly pale fingers through his pitch black hair. It was a deliberate gesture, meant to look effortless and random and succeeding perfectly, but somehow it didn't feel like this man would do anything without a reason. Then he leaned over the desk a little, his eyes suddenly focusing on Naruto and Naruto alone.

The intensity of that gaze was something the blonde would've never expected from a dead man.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me?" the captain asked with his smooth voice, staring straight into Naruto's eyes with his own that were so perfectly black he thought he could see himself reflecting in them if he looked close enough.

He didn't dare to try though, simply because what he was seeing in those eyes now was alerting on its own. They weren't eyes belonging to a man as young as the captain appeared, they looked like the eyes of an old man who was just waiting for death to come and collect him. Or maybe more of an old man who knew death would never come. The thought made Naruto shudder and he quickly looked away for a couple of heartbeats, telling himself to calm down. He didn't want to appear nervous so he took a deep breath and then turned back to the raven haired man, shaking his head firmly.

"No, I don't think so." He was proud of himself for how little his voice shook.

"Hn." The captain appeared amused but didn't comment further.

Naruto frowned, trying to stop his foot from bouncing against the floor. It was his natural reaction to having to sit still like now.  
>"Why you asking?"<p>

"I was thinking about getting your name, actually."

"Name? You don't know that already?"

"If I did, I obviously wouldn't be asking." Now there was a hint of sudden annoyance creeping to that smooth tone, just deepening the impact it had on the listener.

Naruto blinked twice, already knowing that for now he wouldn't want to anger the captain.  
>"Naruto. That's my name. What's yours?"<p>

The raven chuckled breathlessly, again back to amusement. He was clearly a man of quick temper and rapid changes of mood.  
>"I'm Sasuke. I'm also the captain of this ship. Welcome on board, Naruto", he greeted rather surprisingly, slowly tapping the desk with his index finger. It didn't look like an impatient gesture, more like he was taking time by counting seconds in his mind and using the finger to keep the pace.<p>

Naruto smiled rather awkwardly.  
>"Well, thanks, I guess. Would you mind me asking why I'm here?"<p>

"No, I wouldn't."

Silence followed for a little while, expectant one on Naruto's part, and finally he frowned.  
>"Well?"<p>

A small smirked appeared on the captain's previously stoic face.  
>"You haven't asked yet."<p>

Naruto opened his mouth to say something in return but then closed it immediately, seeing the logic behind the ghost man's words. Stupid and childish, but logic anyway.  
>"Yeah, right. So, I'm asking now. Why am I here?"<p>

The captain was quiet for a while and then nodded at nothing in particular.  
>"We brought you here."<p>

Naruto huffed, not daring to roll his eyes.  
>"Yeah, well, I sort of figured that out myself. I meant, why did you do that? And why would you, uh, nap me from a ship like that? You could've just talked to me in a port and I... Okay well, I probably wouldn't have wanted to come unless you had a very good reason but that doesn't mean you couldn't have tried!"<p>

After that, silence fell again and Naruto fidgeted a little in his chair, wondering if he had said something inappropriate, what with the way this captain Sasuke was watching him. The dark, dark eyes were still too old for him, making it hard to look him in the eye and finally Naruto just gave up, staring at the curtains on the wall right behind Sasuke. It was much easier that way cause really, those eyes were giving him the chills. Everything else he could handle but not being stared at like that, it just didn't feel natural.

It felt like hours until the moment Sasuke finally spoke, his finger still tapping against the table.  
>"You really don't know, then? It's very unfortunate... But I'm sure we'll figure it out."<p>

The captain was being purposely secretive, of that Naruto was sure, but he didn't think he should bring it up. Instead, he shook his head, feeling honestly rather helpless. These guys seemed to expect a lot from him without giving him any clue of what that something was and it wasn't a very good starting point at all.  
>"No, I guess I don't. ...should I say sorry or something? I really don't know what you're talking about." He shrugged helplessly, scratching the back of his hand. He was itching all over from being still so long.<p>

"No, it's not necessary. I think you people have forgotten our story along the years... As sad as it is." The raven turned away from Naruto for a while, looking at the dull window on the wall with his shoulders softly rising and falling with his slow breathing. When he turned back, however, it was almost like his eyes had suddenly gotten even older, like more years had passed by as they sat there, all reflecting in the black depths. It was rather frightening, the change, or it would've been had there not been an element of sadness somewhere in those eyes as well.

"You see, very long ago, more time than you can think about, this was but a normal trading ship, just like so many others. But after some unfortunate events, a curse fell upon the ship and all of its crew. That much I'm sure you know already. Maybe even what the curse is." The captain was still watching Naruto, his ancient eyes unblinking as he spoke. As Naruto shook his head he looked slightly displeased but otherwise showed no any kind of emotion, then carrying on with his story.

"This ship is trapped into the mist, into another realm that exists somewhere within yours. We can only move when it's dark and when we do, the light from the world vanishes around the ship. Everything here is black and so are the minds of many of the men who now sail this ship. Weapons can't hurt us and we hardly need any food or drink. None of us can step on land, none but me, and I'm only given three chances every year. Three times I may spend a day on land, but my tongue is bound and my body weak. None of the crew can even dream of such an opportunity."

He went silent again, watching Naruto as though he was expecting something from him. Not a comment, but maybe recognition, something that would tell him the blonde knew the story.

But he didn't. Naruto had never heard anything more than that the ship was cursed and sunk other ships, so he couldn't do anything but to wait for the captain to continue, leaning slightly forward in his chair. Even though it was a simple story and an old one at that, the way the other man was telling it was somehow very captivating, his voice pulling Naruto in as though he could feel everything that was being told.

"But what you all have forgotten is the way to lift it, our salvation that was promised to us. It was said that somewhere on the land a map was to be found, a map that would show us a way to lift the curse. Because of the curse we couldn't go to the land, however, so promising it like that was but an addition to this torture. However, when the curse was brought upon this ship, one man, the first mate and the best friend of the captain, managed to escape it. He promised the captain he would find the map and then return to the ship to save them all."

Naruto was leaning even more forward now, almost hypnotized by the low, flowing voice that was slowly wrapping around him like a warm blanket.  
>"But he didn't", he whispered, finally keeping his eyes on Sasuke and not shying away from the old gaze.<p>

"No, that he didn't", Sasuke answered, shaking his head sadly.  
>"Maybe he tried, maybe he didn't, but he never returned to the ship. The captain never stopped hoping though. You see, there was this special sign that they had agreed upon so the ship wouldn't have to check every ship sailing on these waters. At the time, it was an old habit to paint that black stripe to the ship. It was said to protect you from all the dangers out there, and the agreement they made was that once the map had been found, the first mate would find a ship and make sure it wouldn't have the mark. It wouldn't need the protection from ghosts and the ship was supposed to be able to approach it. When the first of the ships without the sign appeared, the captain and the crew celebrated. They were already growing older and weary of the wait, and when they saw the ship they thought for sure that the first mate had returned to them with the map. But the ship was a foreign one, not used to these waters and customs and so it lacked the mark for those reasons. Full of disappointment the captain chose to sink that ship, letting just one man survive to tell the story of the ghosts as a warning for others."<p>

Naruto winced, briefly wondering if that was what had happened to his ship as well. He was alive, after all, and no ship had ever survived from meeting Black Ship before. He recalled something about the captain saying that they'd be left alive but he couldn't' tell for sure, his memory was still rather hazy. His thoughts were interrupted as soon as Sasuke started speaking again, and he found himself fully leaning on his knees, as though trying to get closer to the source of the voice.

"And so it began, the legend of the Black Ship that appeared only to those without the mark. During the years, more ships appeared and they were all sunken, but the map was never found. The captain went to the land to search for the map himself but not knowing what he was looking for he never found it. Only a while ago we finally managed to recover an old notebook of the long gone first mate, with a short description of the map and how to read it. It wasn't what we had been expecting, but from that point on, it was much easier to keep up with the search, to look for clues. After all, we finally knew that the map we had been looking for wasn't a traditional map after all."

Naruto froze, his mind already fitting the pieces together. He was done with it even before Sasuke said it, but it was still enough to make him shudder as the raven looked at him, those eyes piercing straight through him and his voice low as a rumbling storm in distance as he spoke.

"That's right, Naruto. You are our map."

TBC


End file.
